BERKELEY, Calif. – Making her collegiate track and field debut, Lena Giger set a Stanford freshman record in the hammer throw to win the event at the Cal Outdoor Opener at Edwards Stadium on Saturday.
Giger threw 188-3 to break the 2001 mark of 187-0 set by Jessica Pluth. Giger’s throw also makes her the No. 6 performer in Stanford history in that event.
Stanford brought eight athletes, including six throwers, to the five-team meet, but did not participate in the team scoring. The Stanford women dominated the throwing events. Besides Giger’s victory in the hammer, Cardinal women won the discus (sophomore Valarie Allman, 183-4) and the shot put (senior Rebecca Hammar, 48-7 ¾).
Allman’s discus throw was the No. 3 toss by an American this year. Allman, the 2014 world junior runner-up, and Hammar (170-2) posted the top two throws by collegians in 2015.
Giger’s throw is the second-farthest by a collegian so far. It also bettered her personal record of 185-9.
“I went into today’s competition with my focus on the technique we’ve been working on lately,” Giger said. “The last few weeks have gone really well, so I knew a PR was definitely a possibility.”
Her first attempts were a bit cautious, but “eventually, I picked up some speed and things started to click.”
Giger didn’t find out she broke the record until after the meet, during which she also placed second in the shot put (47-10).
“I’m quite happy with today’s throws and definitely excited to get the rest of the season underway,” she said.
The Cardinal completes its indoor season March 13-14 at the NCAA Championships, and resumes its outdoor season at the Texas Relays on March 26 and the Stanford Invitational on April 3-4.
Men
1,500 – 1, Thomas Joyce (California) 3:42.83; 6, Ryan Silva (Stanford) 3:51.45 (personal record).
Pole vault – 1, Conner Rouse (Long Beach State) 17-0 ¾ (5.20m); 4, Dan Emery (Stanford) 15-7 (4.75m).
Shot put – 1, Peter Simon (California) 56-0 (17.07m); 6, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 51-11 ¾ (15.84m) (personal record).
Discus – 1, Ethan Cochran (California) 190-3 (57.99m); 5, Nick Budincich (Stanford) 156-3 (47.63m); 9, Sina Javidan-Nejad (Stanford) 123-10 (37.75m).
Hammer – 1, Scott Esparza (California) 200-8 (61.16m); 7, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 163-4 (49.79m) (personal record).
Women
Shot put – 1, Rebecca Hammar (Stanford) 48-7 ¾ (14.80m); 2, Lena Giger (Stanford) 47-10 (14.58m).
Discus – 1, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 183-4 (55.89m); 2, Rebecca Hammar (Stanford) 170-2 (51.88m).
Hammer – 1, Lena Giger (Stanford) 188-3 (57.37m) (No. 6 in school history; Stanford freshman record; personal record); 4, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 172-10 (52.68m) (personal record).
Giger threw 188-3 to break the 2001 mark of 187-0 set by Jessica Pluth. Giger’s throw also makes her the No. 6 performer in Stanford history in that event.
Stanford brought eight athletes, including six throwers, to the five-team meet, but did not participate in the team scoring. The Stanford women dominated the throwing events. Besides Giger’s victory in the hammer, Cardinal women won the discus (sophomore Valarie Allman, 183-4) and the shot put (senior Rebecca Hammar, 48-7 ¾).
Allman’s discus throw was the No. 3 toss by an American this year. Allman, the 2014 world junior runner-up, and Hammar (170-2) posted the top two throws by collegians in 2015.
Giger’s throw is the second-farthest by a collegian so far. It also bettered her personal record of 185-9.
“I went into today’s competition with my focus on the technique we’ve been working on lately,” Giger said. “The last few weeks have gone really well, so I knew a PR was definitely a possibility.”
Her first attempts were a bit cautious, but “eventually, I picked up some speed and things started to click.”
Giger didn’t find out she broke the record until after the meet, during which she also placed second in the shot put (47-10).
“I’m quite happy with today’s throws and definitely excited to get the rest of the season underway,” she said.
The Cardinal completes its indoor season March 13-14 at the NCAA Championships, and resumes its outdoor season at the Texas Relays on March 26 and the Stanford Invitational on April 3-4.
* * *
Men
1,500 – 1, Thomas Joyce (California) 3:42.83; 6, Ryan Silva (Stanford) 3:51.45 (personal record).
Pole vault – 1, Conner Rouse (Long Beach State) 17-0 ¾ (5.20m); 4, Dan Emery (Stanford) 15-7 (4.75m).
Shot put – 1, Peter Simon (California) 56-0 (17.07m); 6, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 51-11 ¾ (15.84m) (personal record).
Discus – 1, Ethan Cochran (California) 190-3 (57.99m); 5, Nick Budincich (Stanford) 156-3 (47.63m); 9, Sina Javidan-Nejad (Stanford) 123-10 (37.75m).
Hammer – 1, Scott Esparza (California) 200-8 (61.16m); 7, Tristen Newman (Stanford) 163-4 (49.79m) (personal record).
Women
Shot put – 1, Rebecca Hammar (Stanford) 48-7 ¾ (14.80m); 2, Lena Giger (Stanford) 47-10 (14.58m).
Discus – 1, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 183-4 (55.89m); 2, Rebecca Hammar (Stanford) 170-2 (51.88m).
Hammer – 1, Lena Giger (Stanford) 188-3 (57.37m) (No. 6 in school history; Stanford freshman record; personal record); 4, Valarie Allman (Stanford) 172-10 (52.68m) (personal record).
